Of the seven stories of art collecting that make up this book "Campbell
Corot" and the "Missing St. Michael" first appeared under the pseudonym
of Francis Cotton, in "Scribner's Magazine," and are now reprinted by its
courteous permission. Similar acknowledgment is due the "Nation" for
allowing the sketch on art collecting to be republished. Many readers
will note the similarity between the story "The del Puente Giorgione" and
Paul Bourget's brilliant novelette, "La Dame qui a perdu son Peintre." My
story was written in the winter of 1907, and it was not until the summer
of 1911 that M. Bourget's delightful tale came under my eye. Clearly the
same incident has served us both as raw material, and the noteworthy
differences between the two versions should sufficiently advise the
reader how little either is to be taken as a literal record of facts or
estimate of personalities.